


Peacemaker Kurogane Manga (Transliterated)

by Legume_Shadow



Series: Echoes: A Peacemaker Kurogane/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover [4]
Category: Peacemaker Kurogane
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-31
Updated: 2011-12-31
Packaged: 2017-12-28 06:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legume_Shadow/pseuds/Legume_Shadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three transliterated chapters from Nanae Chrono's Peacemaker Kurogane manga that tie into the Echoes series of stories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Peacemaker Kurogane: Manga Chapter 8: Snow

**Author's Note:**

> No profit is being made for this transliterated work. All chapters are (C) Nanae Chrono.

**Peacemaker Kurogane: Manga Chapter 8: Snow**

_© Nanae Chrono_

_Year: Winter 1865_

 

“ _Well, I guess we’ll have to buy different ones then,” Tetsu grumbled as he tried to think of another way to substitute the expensive treats with possibly other ones._

“ _Oh, Yamazaki,” Tatsu said as the partition opened to reveal Susumu._

“ _Ichimura,” Susumu said in a curt greeting before glancing down at Tetsu and the tea and treats he was trying to arrange to bring into the meeting. “Forget the tea.”_

“ _What?” Tetsu said, looking up in surprise. “They’re finished already?”_

“ _No,” Susumu stated, glancing up and over, as if he could see through the walls and into the meeting room. “It’s more like they don’t want you going into the room.”_

_Tetsu’s expression matched that of his brother as they gave the shinobi a strange look…_

 

The deep snows of the fresh start to the year covered the entire compound, sending most of the inhabitants indoors to seek warmth from the cold. It was during one of these cold days after a brand new snowfall that members of the Shinsengumi were called into a meeting by Commander Kondou.

“Well then, the reason I called you all here is because I have an announcement,” Kondou said, surveying the entire room. “You all know the Shogunate has given orders to subdue to Choshuu domain. Lord Tokugawa Yoshikatsu is finally going to leave Osaka to lead the army to carry out those orders. It’s only my guess but it looks like the Shogunate wants to completely destroy Choshuu this time. And of course, we’re going to join the fight. Unfortunately, we have no experience on campaigns like this and there’s a chance our guard may become loose. Thus, in order to prepare for the campaign, Hijikata as drafted some new laws.”

With that statement, the commander handed the reigns of the announcement over to Hijikata who stated, “Please take a look at the papers you’ve been given.” There was a rustling of papers being unfolded and eyes trailing up and down the written words:

**LAWS OF THE SHINSENGUMI**

  1. Always be aware of your position and do not fall out of line. Move according to your captain’s orders.

  2. Never criticize the strength of friend or foe. And never talk about ghosts or other strange creatures.

  3. Do not eat rich foods during battle.

  4. A battle can take a sudden turn at any time of day or night, but do not let it frighten you. Stay calm and obey orders.

  5. Do not fight or argue over a personal grudge during battle.

  6. Before going out to battle, eat and prepare your armor and weapons.

  7. If the leader of a unit is mortally wounded, all other members of the unit must stay and fight to the death. Any who give in to fear and try to flee will be caught and duly punished. Be prepared and enter the battlefield without regret.

  8. Even in a battle where the death toll is high, it is not allowed to retrieve the bodies of the dead, except for the corpse of the leader of the unit. Do not retreat; see the battle through to the end.




As the men finished reading the paper, there were a few murmurs that started up. “Wh-what in the world?” Harada mumbled.

“Of course, anyone who violates these will have to commit seppuku,” Hijikata said, intervening before the murmurs could get any louder.

“I don’t get it,” Harada spoke up, pointing to the paper, looking a bit unhappy, “but you can’t expect me not to eat good food or tell scary stories!”

“There’s no room for any of those things in battle,” Hijikata answered in a terse tone, as if lecturing children. “You could argue that after losing at Hamaguri Gate and Shimonoseki, they might not be so willing to fight, but they’re still Choshuu. We don’t know _what_ they’ll do if cornered. As they say, ‘even a cat will bite when cornered’. We must proceed with caution.”

Itou gave a mild look towards Hijikata as the vice-commander gave the explanation to the gathered. The view from where he was sitting was quite extraordinary and the dissonance he felt and saw between the members of the Shinsengumi and Vice-Commander Hijikata was… _interesting_ …to say the least.

“But…” Harada again spoke up, shifting a bit in his seat, “ _More_ rules? Isn’t this a little strict?”

“One more thing,” Hijikata said, ignoring the Tenth Unit Captain’s protesting question.

“What?! There’s more?” several of the members said in near-unison.

“It’s about our quarters here,” Hijikata said, ignoring the outburst with a calm and controlled tone in his voice. “It’s too small. And if war breaks out, it’s not a good tactical position. So, plans are in the works to move our quarters to West Hongan Temple.”

This time, there was no stopping the outburst of protests and surprise as the entire room filled up with many voices speaking all at once.

“West Hongan Temple? That’s huge!”

“Our quarters in a temple?”

“I’m against this Hijikata!” Yamanami suddenly said, causing many of those who had initially spoken up to quiet down as they saw that their other vice-commander was protesting what seemed to be a unilateral decision that was made by Hijikata. A few did note that Commander Kondou had not intervened yet and was merely sitting back, watching the entire thing with no hint of anything that he was feeling.

“Think about it!” Yamanami continued. “A temple is not an appropriate place for seppuku or executions! Holy ground is no place for killing!”

Hijikata merely snorted and said, “It was probably the teaching that all life is sacred that made those monks let the survivors of Hamaguri Gate escape. This is a good chance to teach them a _lesson_.”

“What?” Yamanami said, speechless as he gaped at Hijikata in disbelief.

_Most interesting_ , Itou thought to himself as he saw the absolute certainty and commanding presence Hijikata carried on him that had utterly crushed Yamanami’s protests without a squeal. “Heh, heh. Just what you’d expect from the ‘Demon of the Shinsengumi’,” he said to himself. “You know exactly how to best to make people obey you.”

“That is all,” Hijikata said in finality. “Everything has been decided. I will hear your opinions, but objections will not be tolerated. This is not the time for us to be fighting amongst ourselves. From now on, criticizing or slandering another member and any behavior which would cause a division in the group are strictly forbidden. For _anyone_ who breaks this rule, even executives…the punishment is seppuku.”

* * *

Nagakura heard Sano sigh as the tall man said, “Man! The _fukuchou_ seemed like he was enjoying himself while all of us were getting really pissed off.”

The three of them, him, Sano, and Heisuke were tromping through the snow, having decided to go out and into the city proper during the break. The current mood in the headquarters was gloomy enough to make the three of them quite angry.

“Yeah,” he agreed, “the whole mood stunk. It was like a bad act.” Unbeknownst to him as he continued to walk ahead, both Sano and Heisuke had stopped, looking at him in question, for they had thought he had felt the same way as they did. “I feel sorry for Yamanami too…”

_That last comment the vice-commander made was a warning. A warning to Itou and the others who’ve been acting suspiciously. A warning not to break the bonds within Kondou’s group_ , he thought to himself as he slowly breathed in and out.

“Yo, Shinpachi,” Heisuke asked, causing Nagakura to turn around. “What’d you mean by an ‘act’?”

Their faces showed their confusion and concern, but seeing that Heisuke was a friend of Itou, Nagakura thought that he would leave it alone for now rather than try to explain it. “Oh,” he said, giving them a reassuring smile, “it’s no big deal.”

His assumption was wrong as the two of them rushed him and engulfed him in a headlock, with Heisuke saying, “What are you hiding?! If it’s no big deal then tell us!”

“Yeah, tell us!” Sano echoed.

“Agh!” he cried out as their combined weight started to cause him to sink into the snow. “You guys are heavy! You’re crushing me!” However, as his two friends continued to demand an explanation from him, he could not help but think to himself, _are the bonds between us really that weak_?

* * *

The light snowfall was showing no signs of stopping anytime soon as Hijikata stared out at the near-white expanse and breathed in the smoke from his pipe. He suddenly heard a creak behind him and turned from leaning against the open partition into his room, slightly startled. However, he relaxed as soon as he saw who exactly it was that was sitting in his room, looking as calm as a cat.

He snorted a bit and said to the intruder, “You’re just as good at hiding your presence as a shinobi.”

“Perhaps I’ve missed my calling,” Saitou said, standing up, but did not approach.

“What are you doing there?” Hijikata asked, turning fully around so that he was facing the Third Unit Captain. “What about the patrol?”

“It’s my day off,” Saitou said.

“I see,” he replied, knowing that there was only one reason why Saitou was there then.

“And it save you the trouble of coming to my room later,” the Third Unit Captain simply said, as if it explained everything in world.

“Hm,” Hijikata said, closing the door to his room so that the two of them would be able to speak in private, “how considerate.” He walked to his desk and sat, placing his pipe into the small ashtray. He could feel Saitou’s eyes on him, but was not unnerved by it. “It’s almost like you know what I’m going to ask you already.”

“I could be mistaken, but is it about Itou-dono?” Saitou said, though his question was more of a statement.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “So, has he been doing anything suspicious?”

“He’s invited some of the captains and senior members to drink sake and ‘talk’. Individually, not all at once. I was invited once or twice. It doesn’t seem he’s looking for someone to be his ‘partner’.”

Hijikata felt the chills crawl all over his body as soon as Saitou had mentioned the word – his assumptions were probably correct. “What did it take to find _that_ out?” he half whispered. Shaking his head slightly, he decided to forgo the explanation, not wanting to feel even more uncomfortable than he already was and asked, “Anyway, how did it go? Did you find out what he is after?”

“No,” Saitou stated. “At this point, everything is still conjecture.”

Hijikata made a small noise of annoyance – he still had no solid evidence against Itou and his potential power grab or whatever their new ‘Military Advisor’ was planning. At least Kondou had been agreeable enough to allow him to update the rules within the Shinsengumi, and even though he was well aware of the discontentment within their group about the new rules, he knew that he had to stay one step ahead of Itou to prevent whatever Itou was trying to do.

“You’re afraid of Itou’s ideas spreading, aren’t you?”

He glanced up at Saitou, who was leaning quite coolly against the back partition and the Third Unit Captain merely glanced back, his face completely unreadable. He could not help but laugh a slightly derisive laughter. He picked up his pipe and pointed it at Saitou, saying, “Don’t make fools of me or all of you.”

Saitou merely bowed and said, “If you’ll excuse me.”

* * *

Fresh, yet deep snow was the best to make this sort of thing, and the tracks that they were making as they pushed the large, round snowball around the temple courtyard helped pack in the snow layers.

“Yay!” one of the children cried as he continued to push the giant snowball.

“It’s cold!” another said as she blew into her red hands, trying to warm them up.

“Is this good?” the boy asked, looking up.

“Yeah! That’s enough!” Okita said as he wrapped is arms around the giant snowball and tried to lift it. He made a strained noise and then put the snowball back down, saying, “I can’t lift it.” Turning slightly, he called out, saying, “Yamanami! Could you help us out? Please?”

Yamanami gave a bark of laughter as he saw just how large the snowball Okita and the two children, who were pushing it with him around the courtyard, had rolled. “You sure raised a big one, Okita!” he said, shaking his head slightly before getting up. “All right, I’ll be right there.” He got up and approached, and wrapped his arms around the snowball, standing opposite of Okita. “Ready?” he asked. Okita nodded. “One, two three!”

Together the two of them lifted the snowball onto an even bigger one that was the base of the snow object the children were creating. As soon as the head was on, the kids stuck a few branches and bits of coal onto the snow creature’s face and arms.

“Its done!” the little girl cried.

“Not it’s not, stupid!” the boy said. “It still needs a sword and a topknot! It’s a samurai!”

“What?” the girl squeaked in protest. “I think it should be a princess!”

“It’s a samurai!” the boy argued quite vehemently before looking up at Okita, as if asking for confirmation. “Right, Soujirou? It should be a samurai, right?”

“Huh?” Okita said, smiling down at them and pretended to examine the snow creature. “Hmm, that’s a tough choice…” He crouched down and looked at the snow creature a bit more closely before standing back up and said, “Well, the face is so cute, maybe it should be a princess.”

The girl cheered while the boy frowned, but the two children then dashed off to go collect whatever was needed to complete their ‘snow princess’, since Okita had been the deciding vote. Both Yamanami and Okita headed back to the stairs of the temple courtyard to rest for a bit, watching the children from afar.

“I haven’t heard anyone call you that name in a long time,” Yamanami said after a few minutes of the two of them just watching the children add additional crown sticks to their ‘snow princess’.

“No one would let ‘Okita Souji’ play with them,” Okita said, laughing a bit.

Yamanami laughed a bit at the absurdity of what the young First Unit Captain had just said and said, “I see. They wouldn’t let you play with them, huh?”

Realizing his mistake, Okita waved his hands a bit in embarrassment and said “Oops! No, I mean I wouldn’t play with them.”

Yamanami smiled, knowing what Okita meant and silently watched as the children started to refine their ‘snow princess’ to look a little more elegant than a bunch of sticks and burnt coal. He sighed and said, “When I first met you, you were about the same age as them.”

“But I wasn’t as sweet or as innocent,” Okita murmured before blowing into his red hands to warm them up a bit. “It’s cold,” he continued. “Is it already the new year? The last year went by so fast.”

“Time flies in the capital,” Yamanami answered. “Last year, we hardly had time to breathe.”

“And it looks like it’s going to be the same this year. I’ll probably be an old man before I know it!”

Yamanami did not immediately reply to the comment and instead, looked briefly up before turning his gaze back down at the children. “People change,” he quietly said. “Even in a single year.”

Okita merely shifted a bit as the two of them quietly sat on the stairs before Okita got up, his wooden sandals scraping softly on the stone. “About that meeting today,” he said. He crouched down to pick up the umbrella he had carried before standing back up and took a few steps forward. He again, crouched down, except this time, he touched the snow. “I think what Hijikata said was right.”

“I see,” Yamanami said, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.

“But,” Okita continued, “I think you’re even more right.”

“ _You’ve always got to be right don’t you?”_

“ _Sorry, I ended up almost giving a lecture…”_

“ _Idiot! I’m not saying you did anything bad. It’s just being right isn’t enough to persuade people. To me, it’s all about the result. Sometimes, I won’t pick a way that’ll persuade people so long as it gets results. Sure you’re good at persuading people. Of course, whether your heart is in it or not is a different matter.”_

Okita’s laughter snapped Yamanami out of his daydream as the long-ago conversation he remembered having with Hijikata disappeared into the depths of his memory. “Uh, yes?” he asked, looking quite embarrassed.

“Why are you in such a daze?” Okita asked before gesturing to the children. “Anyway, I’m going to walk these kids home.”

“Sure,” he said, raising a hand to say goodbye to the children as they and Okita left.

* * *

_Later that night…*_

 

“Yamanami,” the quiet and lovely voice of Akesato said, “this sword…”

Yamanami turned around and saw that she had picked up the blade and said, “Oh that? Yeah, it’s a shame…but I think I’ve changed my mind. Tomorrow I’m going to go back to the one I used to use.”

“I see,” she said, as she placed the blade back down. She had clearly felt the difference in the blades and he smiled at her. He at least owed her an explanation as to why he was yet again, switching blades.

“I remember something today, something good. I feel like I can keep on trying my hardest…” As he opened the partition and stepped out into the hall, he finished his sentence in his mind, saying, _I don’t think I’ll ever feel comfortable in the Shinsengumi. But everything will be alright so long as we stand by our assertions…if that’s what_ he _wants_.

As he walked down the hall, he thought he heard voices beyond one of the rooms partitioned off… _voices, it sounds like Kondou and Hijikata_ …

“He threw it out!” he heard Hijikata say in an indignant tone as he stopped near the partition that would let him in to the room.

Kondou’s deep laughter was also heard as the commander said, “Because it tastes terrible!”

_They’re here too_? “Excuse me,” he quietly started but stopped.

“Damn, what a pain,” he heard Hijikata’s say as the man’s tone suddenly turned angry and annoyed.

“You mean Sannan?” he heard Kondou ask.

“We need to put an end to him soon,” the quiet tone of Hijikata’s voice completely stopped him from reaching for the partition door and he turned around, heading back towards the room he shared with Akesato.

As soon as he entered, he headed over to his sword and picked it up, hearing Akesato’s protests, saying, “You’re leaving already?”

“Sorry,” he said, trying to sound as sincere as he could. “I remembered something I have to do.”

“Jeez,” Akesato pouted, “I hate that Shinsengumi.”

Yamanami knew that by leaving, he was freeing up Akesato to entertain her next guests, which were most likely Kondou and Hijikata, but he didn’t turn back. He knew that Akesato knew that he was not fond of Hijikata, but this time, that trick would not work. He needed to _leave_.

“Yamanami,” Akesato asked, this time in a quieter, more concerned tone. “Did something happen?”

“No,” he replied, turning slightly to give her a reassuring smile. “Everything’s fine.”

 

_That night, Yamanami Keisuke disappeared._

 

~*~*~*~


	2. Peacemaker Kurogane: Manga Chapter 9: Voice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No profit is being made for this transliterated work. All chapters are (C) Nanae Chrono.

**Peacemaker Kurogane: Manga Chapter 9: Voice**

_© Nanae Chrono_

_Year: Winter 1865_

 

“We don’t know for sure he’s run away, you $#^#& bastard!”

“Ow!” Sano said as Heisuke gripped the front of his gi with frenzy. “I was just saying _if_ , that’s all.”

“Still, just don’t say things like that!” Heisuke shouted. “Ahosuke Bakada!”

“It’s been three days…” Nagakura said, ignoring the antics of his friends.

“Quiet down!” Kondou hissed at the two, causing Heisuke to stop shaking Sano senseless. “The others will hear!”

“Hey Kondou,” Heisuke said with a touch of nervous embarrassment in his voice. “I don’t think we need to search for him. He’s probably just wandering around somewhere. I’m sure Sannan will show up today or tomorrow. If not, he might’ve just gone out for no real reason.”

“Are you sure about that? Can you really say he just left for no reason?” Saitou asked, causing Heisuke to turn a bit and glare at the Third Unit Captain. His question was also met with an uncomfortable silence that permeated through the room as Nagakura glanced around before seeing Kondou settle his gaze on Hijikata. The vice-commander was sitting cross-legged near the entrance, listening to the conversation going around Kondou’s room.

“We don’t know if he’s run away, or if he’s dead. But we have to find him,” Hijikata stated. There were seven of them in that room, but the eighth member was actually kneeling on the ground outside of the room, listening to everything. Susumu was also to inform them if any other people other than the seven of them were approaching or trying to listen in. Hijikata’s next statement was directed at Susumu as he said, “Gather our spies. Descend on the capital and get all the information you can.”

“Yes, sir,” Susumu said, giving a curt nod before disappearing.

“For now, everyone,” Kondou said after a few minutes of silence. “All we can do is trust him.”

* * *

There was a lackluster appearance to the pieces of colorful cloth she was wringing out as Saya empathically felt her mistress’s sadness. Akesato had been sitting in her room for the past three days, staring forlornly at the window, and there was nothing she could do to help alleviate her mistress’s misery. As the last of the cloth was wrung out and hung to dry, she took the bucket of water and slowly brought it to the back of the place where she could dump it into the sink.

“Oh Saya!” the sing-song voice of Hana said as she turned around to see her friend lift one of the many drying sheets and enter the area, holding out a piece of folded paper. “Could you take this letter to Akesato?” Hana said, handing her the letter. “It’s from a regular customer.”

* * *

 _That night_ …

 

She stood waiting on the bridge, wrapped in the warmest of clothing she had. The letter had said to wait at this area an hour after sunset and there had been no one yet…

“Akesato.” She started, hearing the familiar voice and looked around. “Over here, Akesato!” the voice came again, and she peered over the bridge.

 _Yamanami_ , her heart cried out as she saw him step away from the shadows of the bridge and ran down towards him. She embraced him and felt his strong arms wrap around her, pulling her close.

“I’m so sorry,” Yamanami said, “Sorry to make you come so far.”

“What?!” she said, pulling back a bit, slightly angry, “What are you talking about? That’s not what I want you to apologize for! What are you doing? What did you do? Some Shinsengumi even came to _me_ looking for you! If they find you, they’ll make you commit seppuku, won’t they?!”

“Probably,” he said after a few moments. “But either way, it doesn’t matter. I’ll be dead soon.”

This time she pulled back so that she could see Yamanami’s face and cried out, “But why? What did you do to the Shinsengumi?” She clutched at his clothes, saying, “Why do you have to die?”

“Yeah,” he listlessly said in an absent tone, “why indeed…”

Akesato could feel herself being pulled back into his embrace and a few minutes later, she heard him say, “I did something wrong to you too. You finally caught one of the Shinsengumi, but I’m just an outcast. I don’t have any information. I wish I could have at least been some help to you.”

 _No!_ The thought surged through her mind, giving her the strength to push back, but either she didn’t push hard enough or he was _fast_ , for he grabbed her by the wrist before she could fully free herself. “Let me go!” she cried as the cowl covering her hair fell back, revealing her unusual hair color.

“But even so,” Yamanami quietly said, as she struggled, “you really loved me.”

She ceased her struggle as the weight of his words sunk into her ears and she stared at him. There was sincerity about his face, and she could not help but break down and cry. Her original intention had been just that, to get information for her masters about the Shinsengumi, but Yamanami was right…she had fallen in love with him, and now... Despite the cold, his warm hands embraced her face, brushing back her hair and brought their faces close together.

“Your eyes and hair are such a beautiful color,” he whispered as the two of them slowly sat down to the river bank, with him being the gallant one and allowing her to sit on his lap. “I’ve always thought it’s a shame you have to hide them.”

“It would be hard to do my job if I didn’t, you know,” she replied, smiling a little.

“Yeah, I guess it would be…” he replied, chuckling, “and I don’t care if you just speak naturally either. You’re a little bad at the Kyoto accent.”

She felt herself flush with embarrassment before she realized how ridiculous the entire farce had been. Feeling a bit mischievous and wanting to get back at Yamanami for the embarrassing comment, she suddenly used her weight and pushed him back so that he was lying on the ground and her on top of him. She could not help but laugh as the shock of what she did startled him. “I’m so stupid,” she whispered as an idea seized her. “Hey, why don’t you live with me? I’m a shinobi so I know this path over the mountains that nobody does. Getting past the barrier won’t be a problem. And once we’re in the mountains, it’ll be easy to lose anyone following.”

She took a deep breath and pulled back a little before asking her next question, “Yamanami, do you love me? I’m quite a piece of work. I lie, I’m shameless, I’m not worthy of such a good a man as you. I’m scum.” Her voice hitched as her words caught in her throat, but she struggled past it and asked, “Do you really love me?”

Her answer was given in the form of a tight embrace as Yamanami said, “Let’s live together. It doesn’t matter to me who you are. I can survive as long as I have you.”

* * *

_Hide here until midnight. I’ll go get as much as I can take with us. I’ll come for you around the hour of the tiger._

_I will be waiting for you._

_Trust me._

 

There was barely a sound in the air and only the cold breeze for an accompaniment as the footsteps of a wanderer treaded down the worn path near a patch of rice paddies. The horse that was tied to the stake with its owner sleeping soundly by the bank of a rice paddy, unable to find shelter for the night, snorted as the beast sensed someone approaching. It stayed quiet, for the beast did not sense any ill intent from the approaching person.

The wanderer carefully watched the sleeping person, and feeling just a bit guilty, pulled out a gold coin, dropping it at the foot of the horse that he was about to steal. At least the poor soul whose horse that was about to be stolen would have some compensation. The wanderer untied the horse from the stake and quietly walked away, guiding the horse with him.

“Let it go,” Susumu stated, dropping the façade of sleeping as he heard Yamanami try to walk away with the horse he had set up as bait. “You’re suspected of trying to desert the Shinsengumi. You are surrounded.” He could sense the others carefully hidden and readying their weapons. The statement was intended to be bravado, to scare Yamanami into stopping, but there was the force to back up the words, if necessary.

Could Yamanami see reason and not try to escape? He did not know and said, “If you ride that horse towards the border of the capital, you will not be able to escape seppuku.”

The horse gave a sudden ear-splitting whinny as Yamanami leapt onto the beast and kicked it into a full gallop. Susumu reacted and drew out his throwing knives, but the man and beast were faster. He stared at the rapidly dwindling form of Vice-Commander Yamanami, running away.

 

 _In the early months of 1865, Yamanami Keisuke deserted the Shinsengumi. He also broke his promise to Akesato and left Kyoto without her._  
* * *

“Hey Yamanami-san!” a young, eighteen-year-old Okita suddenly said. “Why did you join the Roshigumi?” They were a part of the long train of people headed towards Kyoto on their mission for the Shogunate.

“Huh?” Yamanami said, looking up in surprise as he glanced over to see the curiosity on Okita’s face. “Why did I join? Don’t ask such a difficult question, Okita.”

“But…” the young man began, looking a bit sad before leaning in a bit more and whispered in a very low voice, saying, “You don’t really want to be a warrior, do you?”

“Uh,” Yamanami replied in an equally whispered tone, “don’t tell that to anyone, okay?” At the earnest look of Okita, he decided to elaborate on that and said, “Look, I…I don’t really have a reason. I just kind of wanted to ‘get out’, is all.”

 

~*~*~*~


	3. Peacemaker Kurogane: Manga Chapter 10: Ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No profit is being made for this transliterated work. All chapters are (C) Nanae Chrono.

**Peacemaker Kurogane: Manga Chapter 10: Ties**

_© Nanae Chrono_

_Year: Winter 1865_

 

“It can’t be,” Tetsu said, dropping the tray onto the ground as he stared at them. “Why would Yamanami-san…why would he…? I’m sure he just had something to take care of…”

“Tetsu-kun,” Nagakura began, his expression mirroring almost all the others in the room: Kondou, Hijikata, Harada, Toudou, Saitou…

“Damn you, Susumu! You’re just making up a bunch of crap!” Tetsu shouted, glaring at the shinobi who had a calm look about him. “Don’t believe him, _fukuchou_! I’m sure it’s just a mistake. Susumu is pretty careless. Yamanami-san wouldn’t desert us!”

A hand on Tetsu’s shoulder stopped his ranting as he glanced back to see Okita, as the young captain said, “Please calm down, Tetsu-kun.”

“Okita…” Tetsu began, but didn’t finish his thought as he saw the vacant, almost chillingly hardened gaze on Okita’s face.

“I am taking our fastest horse,” Okita stated. “You are sure he is headed for Otsu?”

That question was directed at Susumu and the shinobi gave a curt, “Yes.”

“Souji,” Kondou started, “Are you…”

“It is alright,” Okita said, turning slightly before he stepped out of the room. “I will bring him back. Count on it.”

* * *

Passersby on the main road leading out of the capital and to the sleepy little village of Otsu that was right next to the large lake darted to the side of the road as the rider sped through, hurrying on his task. At each cluster of houses, the rider and horse slowed down, just enough for the rider to give a quick cursory glance around before kicking the horse back into a fast gallop.

_Souji, this area is crowded right now. Even if his horse wasn’t that fast he could be anywhere by now. If he abandoned the horse, blended in with a crowd, and went past Otsu, we might not find him. So don’t push yourself too hard. If you don’t find him, just come back. Do you understand, Souji?_

The words of Commander Kondou weighed heavily on Okita’s mind as he sped through the road that was heavily packed in by the amount of traffic and by the latest snow fall that had melted a bit. Faces of travelers blurred together, but his sharp eyes and senses individually picked them out – none looked like Yamanami. As he rounded a bend on the road that was near a stream, he suddenly saw a horse and its rider near the bank. The rider had his back turned while the horse was calmly chewing what grass there was that had not yet died from the winter cold.

Even with the rider’s back turned from him; Okita knew exactly who it was and yanked on the reigns of his horse, stopping the beast. He dismounted and approached the rider, who still had not turned. “Yamanami-san,” he said.

Yamanami turned a bit, patting his own horse as it fed on the little bits of grass. “They sent you to find me?” he said, his tone one of defeat and of hopelessness. “Oh, I see. They know I can’t draw my sword against you. Even if I could, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“It was not an order,” he said, stopping a couple of paces from his friend. “I came on my own. No matter how far you try to run, or how big a crowd you try to hide in, I will find you. That is why I came.”

This time, the vice-commander did turn some more so that he could see the forlorn and miserable look Yamanami had on his face before it suddenly turned into a forced grin as the vice-commander said, “Okay. I’m sorry for causing so much trouble.” Yamanami slowly rose onto his feet as he continued to say, “I’m sorry for causing so much trouble. Shall we go? I’m prepared to accept my punishment.”

Okita was silent for a long moment as he stared at his friend before turning and headed back to his horse, saying, “Very well.” He mounted it and turned the beast to face south, back to Kyoto, back to the headquarters of the Shinsengumi. He absolutely refused to look at Yamanami as he said, “Let us go back then. You still have something left to do for the Shinsengumi.”

“Okita…” Yamanami began.

He did not want to hear any excuse and roughly cut in, saying, “No matter what excuse you come up with for this, I will not accept it. No matter how cold he acts on the surface, Hijikata needs you. You know that right? And you must know that everyone likes you.”

“Okita,” his friend whispered in a surprised tone.

“But then,” he tried to continue, to carry on the berating tone he tried so hard to force through his words, but he couldn’t. Not anymore, not after this. He gritted his teeth and tried to hold back the angry tears that threatened to overwhelm him as he pushed on, saying, “You did _this._ This will not end with you just cutting your stomach. I do not care what it takes; we will come up with something to convince everyone… something… anything!” He took a deep breath and said in a softer tone, “If I ask, they might let you live. You might be demoted but you will be alive.”

“Okita,” Yamanami said, this time much closer as Okita opened his eyes to see that his friend was standing next to his horse, looking up at him. “That’s enough,” his friend said, raising a hand towards him. “Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

He leaned down and hugged his friend, and asked, “Why…did you desert us?”

“Good question,” Yamanami replied in a contemplative tone. “I just kind of wanted to ‘get out’, is all.”

* * *

The sounds of pounding footsteps on the hard-packed ground of the compound followed the whinny of horses that entered the Shinsengumi headquarters.

“It’s true! He’s really back!”

“Yamanami! Where did you go?!”

“Yamanami! Everyone was worried!”

“What were you thinking?”

“Why? Why did you do it?”

“I’m sorry,” Yamanami said as he dismounted his horse before being mobbed by Nagakura, Harada, and Toudou. “I’m sorry everyone.”

Tetsu could see the forced cheerfulness on Yamanami’s face as he watched the senior members of the Shinsengumi cry at the return of their beloved vice-commander. He wanted to approach, but something in his gut told him not to. This felt like a private moment and he did not want to intrude.

“It’s like they’re saying goodbye to one of their own family,” he heard Susumu say as he continued to watch them. “Don’t bother them.”

“I know,” he said. He wasn’t going to – he knew what was about to happen. He liked Yamanami, but he was not as close as the senior members of the Shinsengumi were to the vice-commander. It was only fitting that the vice-commander was allowed to spend his last moments with close friends.

A few moments later, he heard Susumu approach and place a comforting hand on his shoulder as the shinobi said, “You should take a few days off.” The hand on his shoulder lifted as the shinobi moved away. “And don’t go near the _fukuchou_ ’s room. Brace yourself.”

Tetsu could not help but clench his jaw as the tears fell silently from his eyes.

* * *

In his mind’s eye he could see Yamanami calmly sitting in seiza on the white-sheeted ground with a stoic look about his face. His back was turned from the scene, but Hijikata thought that Yamanami was an utter fool. He could clearly see that Kondou had his hand to his face, sitting on the porch opposite of Yamanami with a pained look while in his mind’s eye he could see that Souji was standing next to Yamanami, ready to be his kaishaku (second).

“Why?” Kondou croaked out. “Why did you do it, Sannan? Why did you try to desert us?”

The silence that answered the question was only interrupted by the cold breeze before Yamanami said, “The root lies with yourself and the _fukuchou_. You should ask yourselves.”

“What?!” Kondou said in utter disbelief. “What is that supposed to mean, Sannan?”

Hijikata knew what it meant, even if Kondou was trying to deny the meaning and said, “Are you trying to say we _ran_ you out?”

Yamanami bowed his head a bit and Hijikata thought he saw a smirk on his friend’s lips as the disgraced vice-commander said, “Ran me out? Well, you’d kill anyone who gets in your way. So yes, in that sense—“

“Are you serious?” he interrupted him, incensed that Yamanami thought of them that way. After all they had been through… “Do you seriously think that? You really think that you would be in our way?”

Even Kondou had leaned forward a bit, hand how clutching his forehead as he shook a bit with the illogicality of what Yamanami had said. “You fool…” Kondou whispered.

 

There was an utterly stunned look on Yamanami’s face as the thoughts raced through his mind: _I’m sure it was them that I heard. So why are they acting like this? Was I just…acting too rashly_? He quickly shook his head. _It doesn’t matter now. It doesn’t change the outcome_.

 

“By the way,” Yamanami said after a few minutes of silence. “I don’t see Itou-dono or the other senior members. Why aren’t they here?”

“We’ve kept this incident a secret,” Kondou said at last. “The seven of us earlier members from the Shieikan. Saitou, Tetsunosuke-kun, and the spies are the only ones who know.”

Hijikata turned slightly to see that there was an accepting look on Yamanami’s face and saw him bow forward, saying, “Please tell everyone as soon as possible. Tell them that Yamanami Keisuke- _fukuchou_ is guilty of deserting the Shinsengumi. And as a punishment, he will commit seppuku.”

_You pathetic fool_! Disheartened and infuriated beyond words, Hijikata snatched up Yamanami’s first sword that had been sitting next to Kondou and stomped off the porch, headed straight towards his friend. He abruptly stopped in front of Yamanami and shoved the sword out, angrily saying, “This is your soul from when you were a samurai. The least you can do now is cut your stomach like a true samurai.”

Yamanami merely gave him a neutral look before smiling a bit, saying, “Today is February twenty-third, right?” There was such a simplicity in that smile that it served to anger Hijikata further as his friend continued to say, “Hijikata, this is the day we first set foot in the capital as part of the Roshigumi**. It’s a day to remember. Whatever happens from now, I pray that it will mean something.”

Hijikata was caught completely off guard as Yamanami suddenly lunged at him, sword drawn and brought the blade down across his left shoulder…

“Toshi?!” Kondou shouted, just as the blade stopped a mere hairsbreadth away from Hijikata.

Hijikata saw the intent in Yamanami’s eyes die away as a trickle of blood slid down from the corner of the vice-commander’s mouth and heard him laugh a bit. He looked down to see a sword tip sticking out from the left side of Yamanami…

“You see,” Yamanami said, shaking a bit as the mortal wound dealt to him took instant effect. “Wasn’t that an excellent example of the fast draw?”

Beyond Yamanami, and utterly faster than what the vice-commander had drawn in terms of blades, Hijikata saw that Souji had reacted without thought and had stabbed Yamanami from the back of his right side, sending almost the entirety of his sword through the vice-commander’s body. There was a shell-shocked look on Souji’s face.

“Once you bare your fangs,” Yamanami said, looking up slightly at Hijikata while coughing and struggling to keep his words going, though none of them could tell who exactly the words were being directed at. “Don’t hesitate for a second to kill, even if it’s your friend.” His hands shook with the effort of holding the sword to Hijikata and slipped, clattering to the floor. “It’s a tribute to your training.”

Hijikata’s eyes followed the falling sword to the ground.

“It’s made of…bamboo?”

Completely traumatized by what he had just done, Hijikata saw Souji take a step back, and pulled the sword out of Yamanami’s body. Yamanami grunted in pain as his legs gave partially away to the mortal wound.

“You’ve probably forgotten about this already,” Yamanami whispered to Hijikata; his breathing labored. “Long ago, back in Hino, you asked me to do something. But I was helpless and…” Hijikata felt his friend clutch at him in pain, as he continued to say, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Hijikata. Please _regret_ this. The only way I can stop you, is by making you do what you hate most. So please, regret this and don’t do anything else… you’ll regret.”

There were tears flowing down Yamanami’s eyes as the wound overwhelmed him and he sunk completely down to the ground. Hijikata could only numbly follow; the entirety of the scene almost as if it was a surreal nightmare that he could not wake up from.

“That’s enough, Sannan!” Kondou said, his voice cracking in anguish. “That’s enough… Souji, be his second.”

Hijikata stared at the curled form of his friend, barely hearing Souji slowly move to the proper position.

“Please Okita…” Yamanami said, clutching his sides, as if trying to stymie the flow of blood. “Do it. It…it hurts.”

Slowly did Souji move into position, and let the blood-covered blade tip rest against Yamanami’s neck, before it was swiftly raised and swung back down…

_Hey Yamanami. How would you like to hold my ties?_

_Bewilderment graced Yamanami’s face as he looked over at Hijikata in question. “Ties?”_

“ _Yeah,” Hijikata said, chewing on the end of a reed. “Like the ties of what’s right. Or the ties of humanity. See…it’s like I said before. I can do anything so long as it gets results. If I join the Roshigumi and go to the capital, who knows what evil things I could do just to succeed. But every time I finally reach my goal, or I think ‘look,, I’ve made it this far! Me!’, I look behind me and… I’ll tell you. Having regrets is what I hate the most. But with your opinions to keep me in check, I feel like I won’t get too carried away. Kondou doesn’t question me at all. That’s why I want you to hold my ties.”_

“Toshi,” the quiet, grief-stricken voice of Kondou said, snapping him slightly out of his daze. “Go wash yourself off, please. Sannan committed seppuku as a true samurai. Treating it any other way would be far too cruel.”

Hijikata dragged his gaze from the headless body of his friend over to the bamboo sword, barely aware that he was completely soaked in his friend’s blood. “A bamboo sword,” he whispered to himself. “I wonder…” He picked up the first sword of Yamanami’s – the real one, and looked at it before looking back at the bared bamboo blade. “Was it heavy?”

He looked at the sheathed blade again. “Was this thing of yours…really so heavy? Was this thing that we commoners wanted so badly…so heavy for you?”

Silence answered his question.

 

_On February 23_ _rd_ _of the 2_ _nd_ _year of Genji (1865)*, Yamanami Keisuke passed away. He was 33 years old._

 

_*February 23_ _rd_ _Genji 2 (1865) – lunar year._

_**The Roshigumi arrived in Kyoto on this date which coincided with the western year of 1863._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Transliteration’s Notes: I don’t think I did this particular chapter justice by typing it out…the emotional content portrayed in the manga far outweighs the words that I have written. I think it gives a very good view into Hijikata’s psyche and that despite all the claims of him being a demon, it shows that he’s human like the rest of the Shinsengumi. And poor, poor Okita…that incident was one of the most painful ones he experienced in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> *Transliteration’s Notes: The conversation that Yamanami supposedly hears between Hijikata and Kondou is actually fake/false. A strange cat-girl (most likely employed by Suzu) had actually ‘recorded’ the conversation from months before when Kondou and Hijikata when they were talking about Itou and how Hijikata is absolutely annoyed by the fact that Itou keeps stressing that he’s a ‘loyalist’. Said cat-girl had sent one of her minions and used her minion to mimic and re-assemble the ‘recorded’ voices, causing Yamanami to hear what he thought he heard.


End file.
